| As the economy fluctuates and people start | | | | way to go. |
| reassessing their budgets many Americans have | | | | Chicago's Trendy Side: |
| decided to make cutbacks in their budget. For many, | | | | If a trendy Chicago hotel is more your scene, you'll |
| travel was one of the first words on the list to hit | | | | find some of those, too. Sip green tea martinis and |
| the cutting room floor. | | | | passion fruit cocktails at the sleek hotel lobby bars |
| The travel industry quickly took up the cry of | | | | before heading out on the town to track down some |
| "staycations," encouraging people to act like tourists | | | | local music. Be sure to schedule a visit to one of the |
| in their own towns and cities. While a staycation | | | | serene day spas, where you're sure to find a trendy |
| might work for a weekend, it's not quite the same | | | | new treatment just waiting to be tried. A pilates |
| as a full-fledged getaway. | | | | stretching massage, maybe? Round the trendy |
| The better solution? Choose a destination carefully, | | | | Chicago tour out by touring what really matters: the |
| explore all your cost options and go somewhere! | | | | restaurants! Ask your hotel concierge about joining a |
| Perhaps the trip will be a day or two shorter than | | | | walking tour of the city's best restaurants and local |
| normal, or not quite as international as originally | | | | neighborhood jewels, with lots of interesting local lore |
| planned, but it will still be a trip. | | | | thrown in. |
| Travelling and exploring new cities is an important | | | | Shopping on the Mag Mile: |
| experience that should never be completely deleted | | | | On the Magnificent Mile, shopping is king. When your |
| from anyone's budget. With so many intriguing cities | | | | ideal vacation includes a significant chunk of time and |
| just a few hours away by plane, it's always possible | | | | money spent browsing through high end boutiques, a |
| to find a way to make it happen. Chicago with its | | | | day on Chicago's Magnificent Mile is right up your alley. |
| two airports can be a great destination for those | | | | This shopping haven sports the basics you'd find in |
| looking for a bargain on luxury. Here are some tips | | | | any hometown as well as the very high-end, |
| for making the most of available downtown Chicago | | | | awe-inspiring shops that leave you desperate for |
| hotel packages. | | | | more. With over 450 stores, it's a shopper's dream, |
| Chicago Luxury on a Budget: | | | | with unique local boutiques nestled against the |
| Chicago is an incredibly diverse city with more to see | | | | department stores you know and love. Whether it's |
| and do than you'd have time for in a month and it is | | | | window shopping, or the real thing, Magnificent Mile |
| an easy choice for a fun, memorable vacation. | | | | shopping is an experience not to be missed. |
| Choosing a luxury hotel in Chicago is easy, and | | | | From your home base of a downtown Chicago, it's |
| depends on the location and 'feel' you're after. For | | | | easy for a newcomer to make the most of a quick |
| those looking for a cosmopolitan experience, staying | | | | visit to the area and soak up some local culture |
| at a hotel in downtown Chicago will give you easy | | | | before heading back home. Remember the next time |
| access to everything the Loop has to offer. From a | | | | you're thinking of a luxury vacation on a budget to |
| night at the opera to days at the many art | | | | make sure Chicago is on your list destinations to |
| museums, you'll be able to steep yourself in culture, | | | | consider! |
| and a downtown Chicago luxury hotel is definitely the | | | | |